Shaving implement



Dec. 30, 1941. H. c. WRIGHT SHAVING IMPLEMENT Filed Feb. 25, 1938Patented Dec. 30, 1941 SHAVING-IMPLEMENT Horace 0. Wright, Chicago,Ill., assignor to Chlcago flexible Shaft Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application February 25, 1938, Serial No.192,457

(c1. sit-43) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a shaving'implement of the type known as a dryshaver.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved shavingimplement of this type characterized by the use of one or more cutterblades carried by a rapidly rotating holder and urged by centrifugalforce into shearing engagement with the inner surface of a cutting heador comb having openings or perforations through which the beard or hairprojects by manipulation of the comb 'against the skin and is cut off bythe shearing action of the blade against the inner side of the' comb.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved shavingimplement having a comb provided with an annular skin-engaging portionhaving small hair-receiving openings or perforations preferably closelypositioned to facilitate the entrance of the beard or hair, at any sidecircumferentially of the head, together with a rapidly rotating bladeholder within the comb nular area provided with teeth suitable forseparating and cutting long loose hairs.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shaving implement havinga comb of the character described which may be quickly and easilyremoved and replaced.

erence to the following description when conequipped with one or moreblades arranged for movement under centrifugal force into shearingengagement with the inner side of the perforated portion of the comb soas to efiect shearing of the hair at any point in the circumference ofsaid perforate portion.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved shavingimplement characterized by the provision of a rapidly rotating bladeholder carrying one or more cutter blades adapted to move outwardlyunder centrifugal force into shearing engagement with a thin perforatemember of a comb to effect the cutting off of the heard or hairprojecting throughthe one or more openings of said perforate member.

Another object is to provide a shaving implement of the characterdescribed in which the perforate cutting member is of annular formhaving a relatively wide base and a cutting area decreasing in diameteraway from the base, this member having closely positioned hair-receivingopenings or perforations efiective for the shaving purpose at any pointcircumferentlally of the member, together with suitable cutting meansoperating in shearing relation with the inner side of the perforatemember.

Another object is to provide a shaving implement having a comb offrusto-conical form or shape characteristics similar to such form.

Another object is to provide in a shaving implement, a comb having anannular cutting area provided with small hair-receiving perforationsadapted for beard-shavingand a contiguous an.

sidered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of a shaving implement embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section, partly in elevation, throughthe shaving implement;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the cutting head or comb removed; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the section line 4-4 of Fig.2.

My invention in one of its phases contemplates the provision of arapidly rotating cutter blade holder equipped with one or more cutterblades mounted with capacity for movement under centrifugal force intoshearing engagement with the inner surface of a perforate cutting heador comb. This invention may be embodied in various forms and in thedrawing I have illustrated but a single embodiment. In this embodimentthe comb, designated generally by H, is an annular unitary member ofconical or frusto-conical form. It will be understood, however, that myinvention in its broader aspect may utilize a comb or other form, solong as the comb includes an arcuate perforate portion against which therotating blade or blades has shearing engagement. This comb member, ofextremely thin steel, is perforated preferably throughout an annulararea to provide .small closely spaced openings I! for beard hairs. It isalso provided with a series of elongated perforations designatedgenerally by l3 adapted for the reception of long loose hairs, theseperforations being in a circumferential area contiguous to the annulararea having the small perforations, in this instance at the base of thecomb. Each perforation I3 is shaped to provide a series of teeth 14'adapted to separate loose hairs and lead or guide them to the cuttingedges. As here shown the teeth ll are in opposed relation and each toothpresents cutting edges at the inner side of the 56 comb with which acutting element to be presently described cooperates in a shearingaction.

One or more cutting elements may be employed and in the presentembodiment I have shown a pair of cutter blades l5 and I6 which haveshearing engagement with the inner edges of the small perforations l2 aswell as the inner edges of the teeth I. The combination of a cutterblade in cooperation with small closely arranged perforations for closeshaving, together with teeth for separating and cutting off long loosehairs, is the subject matter of an invention claimed in the applicationof John Bruecker, Serial No. 178,221, filed December 6, 1937, forShaving implement now Patent No. 2,234,891. In the present invention Ihave arranged the perforations l2 and i 3 in an annular orcircumferential area so that the shaving operation may be performedequally well at any point around the circumference of the cutting head.In this connection it will be observed that the conical head or comb isa factor in permitting a direct drive, between the motor and the cutterholder. More particularly, the characteristic features of the comb,namely, the relatively wide annular base with the annular cutting areadiminishing in diameter toward the outer end of the head permits ofclose and direct coupling with a motor and avoids any housing or casingstructure which might otherwise obstruct the freedom of shaving at anypoint around the circumference of the comb. This annular comb structurealso permits of the use of a rapidly rotating cutter blade urged bycentrifugal force into shearing engagement with the comb. It alsoprovides for an improved arrangement of hair perforations, abovedescribed.

In the form shown, the comb is held in working position on an annularend 20 of the body or motor housing 30 by means of a ring or collar Hwhich telescopes over the annular end 20 and is detachably connectedthereto. For this purpose I prefer to employ a bayonet slot l8 adaptedto engage a retaining pin l9 fixed to the housing end 20. In thisinstance, the band I! has an annular inwardly turned flange 2| at itsouter end which fits overa complemental outwardly turned flange 22 onthe base end of the comb and holds the latter seated against the housingend.

The cutter blades l5 and I6 are carried on a rotating holder 23 coaxialwith the armature shaft 24 of the motor and connected to said shaft byany suitable means. Preferably the blade holder has a direct connectionto the armature shaft so as to eliminate the use of intermediate motiontransmitting devices necessary to certain types of shavers. Here, forpurpose of illustration, I have shown the blade holder as beingthreadedly engaged on the end 25 of the armature shaft. By means of thisconnection the blade holder is directly rotated by the armature shaftand, in effect, is fixed with respect thereto. Suitable means may beemployed for preventing endwise displacement of the blade holder such,for instance, as the holder having end thrust at 26 against the bearingmember 21 and movement in the opposite direction being prevented by asuitable thrust bearing 28 between the armature shaft and the oppositeend of the bearing. As shown in Fig. 4, the holder 23 is diametricallyslotted at 23 to provide for the free sliding reception of the blades l5and IS. The blades may, however, be suitably supported on the holder,

each with freedom for movement in a radial thus minimize the frictionbetween the holder and the blades. Where the comb is of conical shape ashere shown, I have supported the blades against lengthwise displacementwith respect 'to the holder by means of supporting pins 3|. \With thisconstruction the blades are pivotally suspended from their upper endsand each blade is free to swing upon and about its pin 3| as a fulcrumand is also free to move bodily in a plane transverse to the axis ofrotation of the holder by reason of a slot 32 in the blade whichreceives the pin 3|. the holder the cutter blades will be swungoutwardly by centrifugal force into engagement with the inner wall ofthe comb and this force will urgev the cutter blades against the comb ina shearing action. Each blade is slotted at 33 to provide clearancebeneath the area between the teeth l4. These slots prevent the cutteredges from coming intocontact with the skin during,

the cutting operation and they also provide for this function as thecutters wear. Means such as one or more springs (not shown) may beemployed for urging the cutter blades outwardly into shearing engagementwith the comb and to supplement the centrifugal force.

The cutter blades may be made of razor blade steel or other suitablematerial. The comb may be made of spring steel or other suitablematerial preferably of approximately .012" in thickness, the materialbeing blanked and drawn or otherwise formed into a conical shape. It isthen perforated and hardened. The inner and outer surfaces are thenground and machined until the perforated area of the comb has athickness of approximately .003".- This grinding and lapping may,however, be performed on the inner wall only for the purpose of reducingthe thickness of the perforated area and for providing a highly finishedand accurate shearing face at the inner side of the comb. As abovementioned the comb may be of forms other than conical, to include eitheran arcuate or a circumferential shearing area.

The electric motor designated generally by 34, may be of any type andconstruction not inconsistent with the objects of my invention. Thedirect connection between the armature shaft and the cutter or bladeholder is desirable because of compactness and also the elimination ofintermediate motion transmitting meansf The armature may be at eitherend. The comb may b close coupled to the body or housing with theadjoining walls of the latter confined approximately within a projectionof the conical plane so as not to interfere with use of the shaver atany side of the comb.

It will be manifest from the foregoing that changes may be made in theform and construction without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as expressed in the appended claims, in which I claim:

1. In a shaving implement,- a tubular cutting head of thin metalperforated to provide hairreceiving openings closely spaced in acircumferential area, a cutter blade, a rotary blade holder within thecutting head supporting the blade in a radial plane with respect to itsaxis of rotation and free to move outwardly in said Thus, upon rapidrotation of I plane under centrifugal force when the holder is rapidlyrotated to urge its cutting 'edge into shearing engagement with theinner surface of said perforated circumferential area, and means for sorotating the holder, said perforated circumferential area being offrusto-conical form and the blade being pivotally suspended from theholder adjacent to the smaller end of the cutting head. a

2. In a shaving implement, a frusto-conical comb having hair-receivingperforations closely spaced throughouta circumferential shaving areaadjacent to the narrow end and having a row of cutter teeth in thecircumferential area contiguous to the first mentioned area, saidclosely spaced perforations being adapted for close shaving and saidcutter teeth being adapted for long hair cutting, a thin fiat cutterblade, a holder for the blade mounted for rotation within the comb aboutan axis coaxial therewith, the holder having a blade guiding slot in aplane radial with respect to said axis, the blade having a sliding fitin said guide slot and maintained substantially normal to the innersurface of the comb, means pivotally supporting the blade on the holderso that the blade is responsive to centrifuged force when the holder israpidly rotated whereby the outer longitudinal edge of the blade isurged by centrifugal force into intimate shearing engagement with theinner side of the comb substantially throughout the length of saidshaving areas for 3 simultaneous coaction with said close shavingperforations and said long hair cutter teeth and whereby the comb isoperative for shaving at any localized area in its perforatedcircumference.

3. In a shaving implement, a frusto-conical .comb having an annular baseof relatively wide diameter and having hair-receiving openings closelyspaced throughout a circumferential shaving area which extendsthroughout substantially the length of the comb except for a narrowcircumferential base area and having a substantially continuous row oflong hair cutter teeth in said base area, a thin flat cutter blade, aholder for the blade mounted for rotation within the comb about an axiscoaxial therewith, the holder having a blade guiding slot in a planeradial with respect to said axis, the blade having a sliding fit in saidguide slot and maintained substantially normal to the inner surface ofthe comb, and means pivotally supporting the blade on the holderadjacent to the narrow end of the comb so that the blade is responsiveto centrifugal force when the holder is rapidly rotated whereby theouter longitudinal edge of the blade is urged by centrifugal force intointimate shearing engagement with the closely spaced openings at theinner side of the comb substantially throughout the length of saidcircumferential shaving area and the cutter teeth in said narrow basearea.

